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Woman facing additional charges in hit-and-run case

Monday 14 October 2024 | Written by Losirene Lacanivalu | Published in Court, National

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Woman facing additional charges in hit-and-run case
Cook Islands High Court. 24050916

A woman alleged to have injured four teenagers in a hit and run matter will be facing more charges, the Cook Islands Criminal Court heard last week.

Vaiana Dance is charged with four counts of failure to stop.

Dance, who is represented by defence lawyer Jamie Crawford, told Justice of the Peace Tangi Taoro on Thursday that police indicated additional charges would be filed against her client.

Crawford also said her client’s non-appearance in Court was excused.

She requested a list of witnesses that the police had asked her client not to talk to.

Police prosecutor senior sergeant Fairoa Tararo said that the list of witnesses would be provided and confirmed additional charges would be laid.

Dance, accused of hit-and-run after colliding with two motorbikes, injuring four teenagers, was granted bail when she first last month.

The 33-year-old was bailed on the conditions that she is not to interfere or contact the witnesses, surrender her passport and not to leave the Cook Islands without the approval of the High Court.

The incident took place on a Saturday night of late August at a backroad in Nikao where a blue double cab pickup collided with one of the two motorbikes leaving two lying in the middle of the road.

The second motorcycle, which was behind the first motorcycle that crashed, also crashed, leaving another two teens injured.

Police were contacted for assistance after midnight, following an ambulance that rushed the four teens to the hospital.

Three of the injured teens recovered after being attended to by the ambulance service, while one of the two motorcycle drivers was admitted.

The case has been adjourned to October 31.